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By Ankur Banerjee SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Asian stocks rose on Tuesday as the prospect of easing trade tensions between the world's top two economies boosted risk sentiment, while the near-certainty of Sanae Takaichi becoming Japan's next prime minister sent the Nikkei to a record high. U.S. President Donald Trump said he expects to reach a fair trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping and downplayed risks of a clash over the issue of Taiwan. Trade tensions between the U.S. and China have weighed on the markets in recent weeks, with investor focus now on Trump's planned meeting with Xi on the sidelines of an economic conference in South Korea next week. The lingering hope that a resolution could be on the cards lifted investor sentiment. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan hit an over four-and-half-year high and was last up 0.94%. China stocks rose 0.2% while Hong Kong's Hang Seng was 1% higher in early trading. Australian shares surged as investors snapped up rare earths and critical minerals stocks after the country signed a supply deal with the United States. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.86% to a record peak and was on the cusp of hitting landmark 50,000 points ahead of a parliamentary vote later in the day that is expected to confirm fiscal dove Takaichi as the nation's next prime minister. INVESTORS BUY THE DIP Investor sentiment was also hit hard last week as a clutch of bad loans at U.S. regional banks spurred concerns over credit risks that threatened to spill into the broader markets. The prolonged U.S. government shutdown also weighed on risk assets. But investors so far this week have shrugged off those concerns and bought the dip, focusing on upcoming earnings from several large firms and betting that trade tensions would ease. "The market has hurdled the wall of worry with ease, with new capital injected into risk and fresh oxygen into the market’s lungs," said Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone. Market expectation of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates in the next two meetings and comments from White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett that the federal government shutdown is likely to end this week also buoyed sentiment. A broad rally sent all three major U.S. stock indexes to a sharply higher close overnight with chip stocks hitting a record high. Analysts currently expect third-quarter S&P 500 earnings growth, on aggregate, of 9.3% year-on-year, marking an improvement over their 8.8% growth estimate as of October 1. TAKAICHI SET TO BECOME JAPAN'S PM The spotlight will be on the parliamentary vote later in the day as hardline conservative Takaichi is all but certain to become the country's first female prime minister. The yen was last 0.1% stronger at 150.61 per dollar, having fallen slightly in the previous session as investors anticipated that Takaichi's likely premiership after the backing of the right-wing opposition party Ishin. [FRX/] Analysts expect Takaichi to be pro-stimulus and against further hikes in interest rates, a negative for the yen and bonds but a plus for equities. Other currencies were mostly calm, with the euro steady at $1.164925. The dollar index was little changed at 98.575. Gold prices were stuck near record highs due to safe-haven flows and U.S. interest rate cut wagers. Spot gold eased a bit to $4,350 per ounce, just below the record peak of $4,381.21 hit on Monday. [GOL/] (Editing by Sam Holmes)

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(Corrects spelling of Nomura economist's name to Hannah, from Hanna, in paragraph 4) BEIJING (Reuters) -China's new home prices fell at the fastest pace in 11 months in September, worsening the property sector's drag on broader economic growth as policymakers struggle to revive the flailing market. Persistent property market weakness is weighing on consumer confidence and sapping household spending, building the case for policymakers to step up support to shore up growth amid global trade threats. New home prices fell 0.4% month-on-month, following a 0.3% fall in August, according to calculations by Reuters based on National Bureau of Statistics data released on Monday. Year-on-year, prices fell 2.2% in September versus a 2.5% drop in August. "If the value of real estate, especially in first-tier cities, continues to shrink, people will feel they have less money to spend and will expect even less in the future," said Hannah Liu, China economist at Nomura. "We think it's possible to reintroduce measures to stabilise, or even slightly increase, housing prices in first-tier cities, as this would be the most helpful means for boosting consumption," said Liu. BIG IDEAS NEEDED TO REVIVE MARKET September and October are traditionally the peak season for property buying as developers launch sales campaigns to attract consumers during national holidays. But a prolonged property downturn since 2021, marked by many developers failing to repay debt and complete presold homes, has soured consumer sentiment. Separate data released on Monday showed China's headline economic growth slowed in the third quarter, hurt by the property slump and a U.S. trade war. More support for demand, such as lowering mortgage rates and expanding the scope of personal income tax deductions, may be introduced in the fourth-quarter to bolster confidence, according to Zhang Dawei, chief analyst at Centaline Property Agency. Zhang expects property transaction volumes to drop 10% this year. Of the 70 cities surveyed by the NBS, 63 reported month-on-month declines in home prices, and 61 recorded year-on-year falls. Secondary home prices slid 3.2% year-on-year in tier-one cities, 5.0% in tier-two, and 5.7% in tier-three. Separate data shows faster falls in property investment and sales in January–September. Once a key driver of economic growth in China, the property sector has turned into a significant drag. China has in the past two years repeatedly pledged to stabilise the real estate market and rolled out numerous policies, including mortgage rate cuts and a campaign to accelerate urban village redevelopment. Local authorities have also eased curbs for buying homes to encourage consumption. But the market remains weak and analysts warn it could take a year or more for prices and investment to recover. Nomura analysts said in a report last week that the government would need to "more seriously address the fallout from the property market collapse" in its new five-year plan for 2026 to 2030. "The tone set by the meeting for the property market will still prioritise sector stability, while encouraging local stimulus policies such as home purchase subsidies and tax reductions," said Jeff Zhang, property equity analyst at Morningstar. The elite Central Committee of China's ruling Communist Party will hold a closed-door meeting from Monday to Thursday to discuss, among other things, the country's 15th five-year development plan. (Reporting by Yukun Zhang, Liangping Gao and Ryan Woo; Editing by Kim Coghill and Sam Holmes)

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SYDNEY (Reuters) -The United States and Australia extended financial support to several Australian companies as part of a wide-ranging critical minerals agreement aimed at countering China's hold over the industry, sending the firms' shares sharply higher on Tuesday. Under the deal signed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the countries pledged to invest at least $1 billion each over the next six months in mining and processing projects and to set a price floor for critical minerals, a step long sought by Western miners. The U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM) said it sent seven Letters of Interest (LOIs) totalling more than $2.2 billion to advance U.S.-aligned critical minerals projects in Australia. The LOIs went to Arafura Rare Earths, Northern Minerals, Graphinex, Latrobe Magnesium, VHM, RZ Resources and Sunrise Energy Metals. They represent the next phase in securing the minerals that power American manufacturing, national security, and other strategic industries, EXIM said in a statement. Shares of Arafura were up 8% in morning trading, while shares of Northern Minerals, Latrobe Magnesium, and VHM jumped 11%, 15% and 20% respectively, although Sunrise was trading lower. That compared with a broader market gain of 0.7%. The governments said they would also help advance a plan by U.S. aluminium producer Alcoa to build a gallium plant alongside its alumina refinery in Western Australia that could provide up to 10% of global gallium supply. That announcement pushed Alcoa's Australian-listed shares 8% higher. Gallium, a raw material used in the production of alumina, is a critical mineral essential to technology, especially the semiconductor industry and defence sectors. Australia said in a statement that it would provide up to $200 million in concessional equity financing for the project, which includes offtake rights for the Australian government, while the U.S. would also make an equity investment with offtake rights. Alcoa in August signed a joint development agreement with Japan Australia Gallium Associates (JAGA), a venture between the Japanese government and Sojitz Corp, for the project. The company said that once it finishes feasibility work, a special purpose vehicle owned by the U.S. and Australian governments and Alcoa is expected to enter a joint venture with JAGA to construct the plant, which Alcoa would operate. (Reporting by Melanie Burton and Byron Kaye in Sydney; Writing by Praveen Menon; Editing by Jamie Freed)

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By Rae Wee SINGAPORE (Reuters) -The yen held steady on Tuesday, ahead of a parliament vote in Japan later in the day that is almost certain to see hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi become the country's first female prime minister. Currencies were mostly rangebound in the early Asian session, with the dollar little changed as an ongoing U.S. government shutdown left investors flying blind on data ahead of next week's Federal Reserve meeting. The yen was last 0.1% stronger at 150.61 per dollar, having fallen slightly in the previous session as investors anticipated that Takaichi's likely premiership – following the backing of the right-wing opposition party Ishin – could boost government spending and muddy the outlook for the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) rate-hike path. "Assuming that we're going to see Takaichi confirmed as prime minister later today, then what follows from that? Particularly signalling in terms of monetary policy as well as potential fiscal policy changes, and understanding what, if any, conditions the Ishin party has managed to extract from the LDP as a condition of forming the coalition," said Ray Attrill, head of FX research at National Australia Bank (NAB). "I think that potentially makes for some yen volatility." Takaichi has finalised a plan to appoint former regional revitalisation minister, Satsuki Katayama, as finance minister, broadcaster FNN reported on Tuesday. Elsewhere, sterling last bought $1.3408, while the euro rose 0.08% to $1.1651, helped slightly by easing political uncertainty in France. The U.S. dollar index was little changed at 98.55, while the Australian dollar rose 0.13% to $0.6521. The overall market mood was largely upbeat, after U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he expects to reach a fair trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping and White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett separately said that the 20-day U.S. federal government shutdown is likely to end this week. Jitters over credit risks across U.S. banks also dissipated slightly. Yet, the optimism failed to move currencies significantly, with investors largely on guard ahead of a slew of risk events next week, headlined by the Fed's policy meeting. "My sense is that next week is probably a far more important week in terms of risk," said NAB's Attrill. "Given where markets are priced…the risk is that the commentary surrounding a cut next week really sort of leads to some questioning of current confidence about a follow-up move in December," he said of the Fed cut expectations. In other currencies, the New Zealand dollar was up 0.12% at $0.5752, while the offshore yuan was steady at 7.1216 per dollar. (Reporting by Rae WeeEditing by Shri Navaratnam)

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(Reuters) -A group of U.S. banks, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Goldman Sachs, is hesitant to lend $20 billion to Argentina without guarantees or collateral, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last week that the department was working with banks and investment funds to create a $20 billion facility to invest in the South American country's sovereign debt. Bankers are waiting on guidance from the Treasury Department on what collateral Argentina would be able to provide for them or if Washington would plan to backstop the facility on its own, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. The loan facility has not been finalized and might not come together if the banks' collateral question is not resolved, the report said. "Discussions on this facility remain ongoing, and we look forward to sharing more details once these talks are complete," a U.S. Treasury spokesperson told Reuters. JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Argentina's central bank said on Monday it signed a $20 billion exchange rate stabilization agreement with the U.S. Treasury Department, providing a total of $40 billion in U.S. support for Latin America's third-largest economy. The Treasury has also bought Argentine pesos in the open market. The U.S. facilities are also raising the possibility of a conflict between the IMF and the Treasury Department, with officials from the fund concerned that the Trump administration could pressure Argentina to put the U.S. liabilities ahead of the IMF's sizable loans, the WSJ report said. The IMF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. (Reporting by Anusha Shah and Ruchika Khanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel, Subhranshu Sahu and Alan Barona)

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HOUSTON (Reuters) -Venture Global has asked federal regulators for permission to introduce natural gas by Thursday into the final block of its Plaquemines LNG plant, according to a regulatory filing on Monday. If the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission grants the permission, Venture Global will soon be producing LNG from its entire Plaquemines plant, more than a year ahead of when it is expected to provide its first set of long term customers with their contracted amounts of gas. Completion of the Plaquemines export facility in Louisiana will bring it to its full capacity of 27.2 million metric tons per annum (mtpa). In September, Plaquemines, the second largest plant in the country, was responsible for more than 17% of total U.S. exports, according to financial firm LSEG. Venture Global, the second largest LNG exporter in the U.S., has aimed to quickly construct and ramp up production at its LNG plants and make money up front by selling LNG produced in the commissioning phase on the spot market at higher liquefaction fees than it can get from its long-term customers. The company has been producing at Plaquemines and selling it on the spot market since December 2024. Venture Global has been taken before courts of arbitration by some of its long-term customers of its first LNG plant, Calcasieu Pass, also in Louisiana, over the length of time they took to receive their LNG. In the case of Calcasieu Pass, Venture Global said it could not provide them with the gas in the agreed timeframe because of a faulty electric system at the plant, while the customers that included the likes of BP and Shell accused the Arlington-based company of profiting by selling the gas on the spot market rather than to them for lower contracted prices. (Reporting by Curtis Williams in Houston; Editing by Sonali Paul)

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By Pritam Biswas (Reuters) -Zions Bancorp reported a rise in third-quarter profit on Monday, helped by stronger interest income and despite taking a hefty loss on two loans, sending shares of the bank up 2% in after-market trading. Zions disclosed last week that it would take a $50 million loss in the third quarter on two commercial and industrial loans from its California division.  The statement from the bank, combined with separate disclosures from Western Alliance and Jefferies about a fraud lawsuit involving Cantor Group V and exposure to bankrupt auto parts maker First Brands, respectively, led to a decline in banks' shares on Thursday as investor concerns over lending intensified. LOAN LOSSES AN ISOLATED INCIDENT "We are confident this was an isolated incident in our portfolio," Zions Chief Credit Officer Derek Steward said in an analyst call. CEO Harris Simmons said in a statement that excluding the loss "remaining net charge-offs were very benign at $6 million, or 4 basis points of average loans on an annualized basis." U.S. bank shares rebounded on Friday, recovering some of the sharp losses from the previous day and easing jitters around the sector. "Third-quarter earnings results for several U.S. regional banks did not show outsized or unexpected credit losses, and management teams are providing a reassuring outlook for the fourth quarter," Terry McEvoy, analyst at Stephens, said. "Such trends support the idea that the stress at a handful of companies is more of a one-off than an emerging trend." Broader loan growth has helped banks rake in more from interest income. Net interest income – the difference between what banks earn on loans and pay on deposits – rose to $672 million from $620 million in the year-ago quarter. Net income applicable to the bank's shareholders was $221 million, or $1.48 per share, in the three months ended September 30, compared with $204 million, or $1.37 per share, a year earlier.    (Reporting by Pritam Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona and Lincoln Feast.)

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(Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese agreed on Monday to ensure a steady supply of critical minerals and rare earths, as the United States moves to reduce its reliance on Chinese supply. The U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM) issued seven letters of interest (LOIs) on Monday for more than $2.2 billion of financing, unlocking up to $5 billion of total investment, to advance critical minerals and supply chain security projects between the two countries. These are the Australian mining companies that have announced details about their receipt of LOIs from EXIM: AGREEMENTS ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY VHM VHM received an updated letter of interest from EXIM for up to $200 million in funding, with an improved term of up to 15 years in potential financing, to support development of its Goschen rare earths and mineral sands project in Australia. LATROBE MAGNESIUM Latrobe Magnesium said EXIM was prepared to finance up to $122 million for the firm's stage 2 commercial magnesium plant in Victoria, Australia. ARAFURA RARE EARTHS EXIM provided a non-binding LOI in support of Arafura's Nolans project in the Northern Territory, with preliminary discussions of EXIM considering up to $300 million of financing support. NORTHERN MINERALS EXIM outlined it would be able to consider financing up to $230 million of potential debt funding to support the development of Northern Minerals' Browns Range heavy rare earths project in Western Australia. AGREEMENTS ANNOUNCED PREVIOUSLY FOR PROJECTS IN AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC MATERIALS Australian Strategic Materials received a LOI from EXIM in March 2024 for a debt funding package of up to $600 million to support construction of its Dubbo rare earths project northwest of Sydney. EQ RESOURCES EQ Resources received a LOI from EXIM in June 2025 for a debt facility of up to $34 million to support the Mt Carbine tungsten expansion project in Australia. VICTORY METALS Victory Metals in April 2025 secured a $190 million LOI from EXIM for the development of its North Stanmore heavy rare earths, scandium and hafnium project in Western Australia. SUNRISE ENERGY METALS Sunrise Energy Metals in September 2025 received a LOI from EXIM for up to $67 million in financing for its Syerston scandium project in New South Wales, Australia. AGREEMENTS ANNOUNCED PREVIOUSLY FOR PROJECTS OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA AMERICAN RARE EARTHS American Rare Earths received a LOI from EXIM in September 2024 for a debt funding package of up to $456 million to support construction of the Cowboy State Mine area at its Halleck Creek project in Wyoming. ANSON RESOURCES EXIM offered $330 million in September 2024 to finance the construction of Anson Resources' lithium production plant in the Paradox Basin, Utah. METEORIC RESOURCES U.S. EXIM, in March 2024, offered up to $250 million in preliminary support for Australian-listed Meteoric Resources, to develop its Caldeira rare earths project in Brazil. IPERIONX IperionX said in April 2025 that the EXIM had approved an equipment finance loan of $11 million to support significant expansion of IperionX’s advanced titanium manufacturing capabilities in the U.S. QUANTUM GRAPHITE Australian miner Quantum Graphite said in July 2024 that it had received a term sheet from EXIM for a loan of up to $300 million to fund the Utile project near the North Atlantic Ocean. AMAERO INTERNATIONAL At the beginning of 2025, Amaero International secured a loan of $22.8 million from EXIM as part of the bank's "Make More in America" initiative to strengthen local supply chains. (Reporting by Shivangi Lahiri and Shruti Agarwal in Bengaluru and Melanie Burton in Sydney; Editing by Jamie Freed)

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